Chapter 251
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 251
Chapter Title: The Sprouts Assemble
-----------------------------------------------------------------
From the Sprout, the official fan club of actor Lee Seojun.
It all began with a fan cafe created ten years ago.
The very people who started that fan cafe were now chatting in a small coffee shop.
“I never dreamed it would get this big…”
One of the three administrators, with the username [Watering Can], looked at her phone, her expression one of awe at the member count, a world away from what it once was. The user [Sunlight], sipping a drink topped with a mountain of whipped cream, beamed.
“It was hilarious back then! You created the fan cafe right after the movie, sobbing your eyes out.”
The founder herself, username [Heukheuk], who had indeed created Lee Seojun’s fan cafe while crying after seeing *Shadowman 1*, missed the teasing in Sunlight’s tone and sipped her coffee with a proud look.
“This was the girl who had zero interest in celebrities and only cared about studying, and suddenly she’s like, ‘This actor is going to make it. I’ll make sure of it!’ Her voice and expression were so serious, but tears were just streaming down her face. It was so funny that even after ten years, I remember it perfectly!”
Sunlight burst out laughing.
“I never thought she’d get into a fandom like this.”
“I agree! And when someone who’s never been into it falls, they fall hard. Who would have thought that tiny fan cafe would become the official one, and even lend its name to the fan club? You’re amazing, Heukheuk.”
“Why are you calling me Heukheuk when you know my real name? And why am I Watering Can?”
“What does a sprout need to grow into a tree? Good soil, bright sunlight, and cool water, of course! You’re in charge of the cool water!”
“No, I mean, of all the things you could have picked, why a watering can?”
“Because it’s funny?”
Watering Can jabbed Sunlight repeatedly in the side. Sunlight yelped, but Heukheuk paid them no mind. As always, she opened the fan cafe on her phone.
A picture of Seojun grinning brightly at the fan-organized birthday event from this past March adorned the cafe’s homepage. It was a photo that always brought a smile to her face.
[Retouched photos from the book concert!]
[I went on a Lee Seojun tour (domestic)!]
[Sharing Seojun wallpapers!]
New posts were constantly appearing, with comments flooding in moments later. The lively activity of the fans made Heukheuk’s heart swell with pride.
Aside from Seojun’s close acquaintances, [Heukheuk] was practically his first official fan.
An entire decade had passed since ‘Heukheuk’ created the fan cafe [From the Sprout] after watching *Shadowman 1*.
As Seojun continued to work on projects across various genres, his fanbase diversified.
From child fans who loved *Spring* to middle-aged and older fans who adored *Naeuiwon* and *Yeok (Reverse)*. Thanks to his globally released films and Plus+, which welcomed his work with open arms, his international fanbase had also grown significantly.
Fans of all nationalities and ages were active, centered around the official fan cafe.
Heukheuk, Sunlight, and Watering Can.
[From the Sprout], which had started with just the three of them, had grown so well.
“Still, Cocoa Entertainment helped out a lot, so we could manage it alongside our daily lives. I was worried about what to do when I got a job.”
“Totally! Of course, I’m a freelancer, so!”
“Ah, the job that never ends?”
“…You have a way of hitting where it hurts sometimes.”
At Watering Can’s remark, Sunlight feigned a dramatic collapse.
“But it’s true! I have to pull an all-nighter today, too!”
“That doesn’t sound like something to be so cheerful about.”
While Watering Can wore a look of disbelief, Heukheuk’s phone rang.
Gray Vainie’s composition, no. 1.
The beautiful melody of a violin drew the attention of all three to Heukheuk’s phone.
[Cocoa Entertainment Team 2]
“Ooh! What’s up?”
“Is it about the book sale on Saturday?”
“That makes sense, we’re probably making the biggest fuss! I’m planning to go, too!”
“We should post a notice.”
While Sunlight and Watering Can chattered, Heukheuk answered the call. Her expression, which had been soft as she exchanged pleasantries, slowly hardened.
Sunlight and Watering Can held their breath.
“Yes. Understood.”
Seeing Heukheuk’s now grim face, they began to worry that something terrible had happened to Seojun.
“Was there an accident?”
“Yeah. What’s going on?”
After staring at her phone for a moment, Heukheuk turned to her friends.
Sunlight and Watering Can swallowed hard, waiting to hear what she would say. With a serious expression, Heukheuk slowly opened her mouth.
“Voting for the WTV Film Festival starts next Saturday.”
“…Is that something to be so serious about?!”
“Phew! What a relief…!”
Watering Can shouted, and Sunlight slumped over.
Despite her friends’ reactions, Heukheuk replied with a still-stern face.
“Of course it is. Seojun’s award is in our hands.”
Relieved that it wasn’t an accident, Sunlight quickly sat up, clenched her fists, and said.
“She’s right! Remember how anxious we were during the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards? If we’d had the right to vote, we wouldn’t have been so worried! And now we can finally vote!”
“Exactly. We won’t be sitting on our hands like last time.”
“I couldn’t even sleep until the awards ceremony was over!”
“Don’t worry. You’ll be able to sleep soundly this time.”
“Both of you, calm down.”
Watering Can, reining in the grim-faced Heukheuk and the excitable Sunlight, spoke up.
“We need to post a notice first. To make sure Seojun definitely gets that award.”
It went without saying, but Watering Can was a devoted fan of Seojun, too.
***
<From the Sprout>
[Notice: The novel ‘Mirror’ will be on sale starting Saturday!]
[Notice: Seojun will not be appearing in the play ‘The Juror’.]
[Notice: The Yeoul Arts Middle School graduation performance is open to authorized personnel only.]
[Notice: The Yeoul Arts Middle School graduation performance will be uploaded to N-tube.]
A new notice appeared on actor Lee Seojun’s fan cafe.
[Notice: The day has finally come.]
Unlike the usual notices, whose content could be guessed from the title alone, this one was cryptic. The title even seemed to carry the grim determination of its author, Heukheuk.
[Notice: The day has finally come.]
I’ll get straight to the point and share the news from Cocoa Entertainment.
The day has finally come.
Voting for the WTV Film Festival will begin next Saturday and last for one week.
Actor Lee Seojun has been nominated for ‘Best Villain’ and ‘Best Performance.’
We ask for everyone’s vote.>
“Posted.”
They were at Heukheuk’s house, the closest to the cafe.
At Heukheuk’s words, Watering Can, who was creating a new banner for the fan cafe’s main page, read the notice and shook her head.
“No one’s going to know what this is about.”
“Look at the comments.”
“Huh?”
At Heukheuk’s pleased smile, Watering Can looked at the comment section.
-The day has finally come.
-I’ve been waiting for this day!
-I knew it from the title!
“…I give up.”
Watering Can turned back to her laptop.
“I posted my notice, too!”
Sunlight exclaimed. Watering Can let out a sigh and read Sunlight’s post.
[Notice: Here’s how to vote for the WTV Film Festival!]
Does everyone remember that feeling of helplessness during the Golden Globe and Academy Awards because we didn’t have the right to vote? I remember it very clearly!
Finally! We have the right to vote!
And if we have the right to vote, we must vote!
You don’t remember how, since it was eight years ago? Just trust me! Please follow the steps below to cast your vote!
Let’s all vote!>
Seeing Sunlight’s proud expression, Watering Can pressed her hand to her forehead.
*Well, it’s fine. All her notices are like this.*
Forcing herself to move on, Watering Can focused on her own task.
“…Huh?”
Heukheuk, sitting at her computer, tilted her head. Watering Can, who was starting to get scared, tried to ignore it for a moment before finally speaking.
“…What is it?”
“The WTV site crashed.”
“Whoa! Really?! It really crashed!”
“Hmm. Was it because of us?”
“Yeah! It must have been us!”
Seeing the strangely proud Heukheuk and the ever-cheerful Sunlight, Watering Can, on the verge of tears, typed furiously on her keyboard.
[Notice: WTV Film Festival voting starts NEXT Saturdayㅠ]
Voting for the WTV Film Festival starts NEXT Saturdayㅠ
You can’t vote even if you go to the homepage now, so please, everyone, calm downㅠ
The site has crashedㅠ And it seems we’re the culpritsㅠ
Oh, but you can crash it starting next Saturday.>
-Watering Can seems soft-hearted, but she always packs a punch.
=22 She said we can crash the site starting next Saturday lol
=I will do my best to crash it!
-Voting! A vote! Giving the nation of voters a chance to vote!!
-You have no idea how frustrating it was not being able to help with the Golden Globes or the Oscars!!
=22 Agreed. If they were based on votes, we wouldn’t have been so on edge.
-Let’s make sure Seojun walks into that WTV awards ceremony confident that he’s already won!
=222 Let’s do it!!
A short while later.
It seemed Watering Can’s notice had worked, as the WTV homepage was back to normal. Letting out a sigh of relief, she uploaded the banner she had been working on to the fan cafe’s main page.
It was a photo from eight years ago, of a little eight-year-old Seojun, holding a trophy shaped like a red popcorn bucket and beaming.
It was one of the fans’ favorite pictures, perfectly capturing Seojun’s joy and happiness from receiving his first-ever award in both his lives.
“I loved this moment so much!”
“Me too. I want to see it again.”
Sunlight and Heukheuk reminisced about that day eight years ago.
They remembered how shocked they were to find out in the middle of a fan meeting, how they mobilized family and friends to vote, and how they spread voting instructions to other sites, encouraging everyone to participate.
They couldn’t describe the sheer joy they felt when Seojun finally held that trophy, a brilliant smile on his face.
“We have to give it our all this time, too.”
Nine days until the WTV Film Festival voting began.
This time, all the Sprouts around the world were planning to join forces.
***
[WTV Film Festival Voting Begins Next Saturday!]
[Actor Lee Seojun Nominated for ‘Best Villain’ and ‘Best Performance’ for his role as Jin Natra!]
[His First Awards Ceremony in 8 Years! What Are His Chances of Winning?]
[9 Days to Go! A Guide to Voting in the WTV Film Festival!]
[WTV Homepage Inaccessible! What’s the Cause?]
-From the Sprout.
-The Sprouts.
-Lee Seojun’s fans.
-…Me?
-lol why does everyone know lol
=An article came out about the notice posted there.
=The reporters must be diligently lurking in the fan cafe.
=The notice definitely worked, the site is accessible now.
=And thus the cause was revealed lol
-From the Sprout is no joke.
=22 They’re usually so quiet you don’t even know they’re there, but when they mobilize, it’s insane lol
=333 The birthday event was truly incredible.
-Oh. It’s trending!
=I get Lee Seojun and WTV, but lol From the Sprout lol
=22 Why is that here lol
1. Lee Seojun
2. WTV Film Festival
3. WTV Film Festival Voting
4. How to Vote WTV
NEW From the Sprout
NEW Lee Seojun Fan Cafe
***
Thursday, which had been abuzz with an interview from Choi Daye, the author of ‘Mirror’, and news of the WTV Film Festival, passed, and Friday arrived. Today marked the end of auditions for the ‘Mirror’ team.
The final audition of the day.
Seojun, who had been stretching his stiff body after sitting for so long, smiled warmly as his friend walked through the door.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Nah. I was practicing, so the time flew by.”
Jaehan smiled gently and scratched his cheek.
It felt strange to see Seojun sitting in front of him like this. It was even stranger because the application form in Seojun’s hands was his own.
“But seeing you like this feels a little awkward.”
“I think I’m getting used to it.”
It had been easy with the first and second years, whom he didn’t know well, but with the third years, who were all his friends, there was a mutual awkwardness when they entered the classroom.
Of course, once the acting began, both the third years and Seojun forgot the awkwardness and focused completely.
Seojun spoke first.
“Welcome. Please introduce yourself.”
“Haha. Hello. I’m Kang Jaehan from Class 3-2.”
Jaehan chuckled and played along with Seojun’s formal tone.
“You really sound like a director.”
“The other kids said the same thing.”
Seojun smiled at Jaehan’s comment and poised his pen over the application.
“Alright, let’s start with your interpretation of the character you want to play.”
The friendly glimmer in his eyes vanished, replaced in an instant by a professional gaze. Jaehan took a light breath and began to speak.
#